Precious Heartbeat

I knew there was a reason I liked this bishop!  (emphasis mine)

The following statement is from Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl:

[…]

We respect the right of elected officials such as Speaker Pelosi to address matters of public policy that are before them, but the interpretation of Catholic faith has rightfully been entrusted to the Catholic bishops. Given this responsibility to teach, it is important to make this correction for the record.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear: the current teaching of the Catholic Church on human life and abortion is the same teaching as it was 2,000 years ago. The Catechism reads:

“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception…Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.” (Catechism, 2270-2271)

The Catechism goes on to quote the Didache, a treatise that dates to the first century: “’You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.’”

From the beginning, the Catholic Church has respected the dignity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death.

(Source)

Way to go Archbishop Wuerl!!!

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, spoke with NBC’s Meet the Press earlier this week.  Rep. Pelosi is a Catholic, so the issue inevitably came to her stand on when life actually begins.  Below is a portion of the transcript from MSNBC (emphasis mine).

REP. PELOSI:  I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time.  And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition.  And Senator–St. Augustine said at three months.  We don’t know. The point is, is that it shouldn’t have an impact on the woman’s right to choose.  Roe v. Wade talks about very clear definitions of when the child–first trimester, certain considerations; second trimester; not so third trimester.  There’s very clear distinctions.  This isn’t about abortion on demand, it’s about a careful, careful consideration of all factors and–to–that a woman has to make with her doctor and her god.  And so I don’t think anybody can tell you when life begins, human life begins.  As I say, the Catholic Church for centuries has been discussing this, and there are those who’ve decided…

MR. BROKAW:  The Catholic Church at the moment feels very strongly that it…

REP. PELOSI:  I understand that.

MR. BROKAW:  …begins at the point of conception.

REP. PELOSI:  I understand.  And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that.  So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy.  But it is, it is also true that God has given us, each of us, a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions.  And we want abortions to be safe, rare, and reduce the number of abortions.  That’s why we have this fight in Congress over contraception.  My Republican colleagues do not support contraception.  If you want to reduce the number of abortions, and we all do, we must–it would behoove you to support family planning and, and contraception, you would think.  But that is not the case.  So we have to take–you know, we have to handle this as respectfully–this is sacred ground. We have to handle it very respectfully and not politicize it, as it has been–and I’m not saying Rick Warren did, because I don’t think he did, but others will try to.

I’m not that surprised, the rational was interesting at best.  It is true God gives each of us free will and conscience, but he also gives us the Church.  And the Church has always taught the value of the human life, from natural conception to natural death…even before “50 years or something like that” ago.

Nancy Pelosi has in the past challenged Church belief as well.  In a 2003 National Catholic Reporter interview she said…well I’ll just let you read it.

Q: Women as priests?

A: Oh absolutely…Why not? Why not?

And yet…

Q: You were recently quoted as calling yourself a “conservative Catholic.” Are you?

A: I think so.

And another interesting comment (emphasis mine)…

I have never in my district in California, in my archdiocese…if I was going to [be allowed to] receive communion; I never knew if this was the day it would be withheld. And that’s a hard way to go to church. Fortunately, I’m invited — I have a big family — I go to a lot of weddings, I’m in a different church every week. I’m a moving target.

It is really a shame that Catholic politicians think they should be able to call themselves “Catholic” and then go and challenge several important Church doctrines.  The example they set for other Christians and Catholics alike is not the example of Christ or His Church.  It is the example of pride and disobedience.   The Church must continue to challenge this culture of death and stand up for the TRUTH. 

Catholics must remember that we cannot, in good conscience, vote for a politican who supports the legalization of abortion.  Abortion is non-negotiable issue – life begins at conception and must be protected from that point on.

We should pray for all Catholics in America, especially those who are in public office or running for public office, that they will remember their faith and the value of each and every human life.

Thanks to One Mom, who pointed out this issue here and here.

Well as many of you know, I’m off to Boston College in the fall, so I won’t be available in Fitchburg to tape Precious Heartbeat’s television series on a regular basis.  So Kathy Jordan and myself (Andy Rota) have decided to transform Precious Heartbeat, at least for the time being, into mainly a web blog.

We will contribute articles about pro-life issues and we hope our readers share their comments on the issues as well!

Since we have changed our website design, we will also be re-uploading the videos of the television series so you can watch them online!

American Life League expressed their congratulations to Archbishop Raymond Burke in a press release on August 25^th.  Archbishop Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, declared in an Italian magazine that politicians who support abortion should not receive Holy Communion. Portions of the press release are below.

“Archbishop Burke’s great love and zeal for our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament compels him to send a clear message: Don’t desecrate the Holy Eucharist by presenting yourself for Communion while persisting in your support of child murder,” said Judie Brown, president of American Life League. “We are excited to see Archbishop Burke continuing to battle for the lives of innocent preborn children.”

Archbishop Burke spoke to the Italian magazine Radici Christiane last week, specifically addressing the subject of “Catholic” pro-abortion politicians who “support abortion, which entails the taking of innocent and defenseless human lives.”

“A person who commits sin in this way,” he stated, “should be publicly admonished in such a way as to not receive Communion until he or she has reformed his life.”

The archbishop then went on to explain that when ministers of Communion deny the sacrament to public officials who support abortion, “it is not with the intention of interfering in public life, but rather with the concern of the spiritual state of the politician or public official who, if Catholic, should follow the divine law in the public sphere as well.”

 

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